Tips for Successful Study Methods

what systems and processes do you use to learn new things? mine evolved over time, ofc there are a few things I would change if I were to start again. It's HubSpot Academy World Certification Week and it's not too late to get started! Here's a breakdown of how I study, prepare for exams, and manage renewals: 1 - Gather Resources Before watching the intro video, open the resources tab for each Course. 👉 Open the slides and transcript in a new tab to quickly access while taking notes. 👉 Use a separate browser window to open the additional resources (including any workbooks). 🖨️ Print the study guide to use for my handwritten notes. If you prefer digital note taking, copy the study guide into your preferred notes app. 📝 Print the exam breakdown for renewals or if you didn't pass. Go through notes, slides, and transcripts to find the answers and write them down. 2 - Watch Videos This varies quite a bit depending on the type of certification. 👉 learning something new: Watch/listen to the videos at normal speed, usually while I'm doing the dishes, laundry, or yard work. Avoid taking any notes and try to focus on the big picture ideas. Watch them again, usually at 1.5X or 2X speed. Start taking notes and pause to refer to the slides or transcript to catch a definition or stats. 👉 validating something familiar: Skip the first pass. 👉 renewing: Check each course for any updated lessons (they'll be easy to spot since you won't have watched them previously) and only watch those. 3 - Complete practical exercises and quizzes Complete as you go through each course. Review additional resources. Add quiz Q&A to notes. 3.5 - Complete the Practicum and/or Workbooks 👉 Practicum: copy/paste the instructions into a google doc and mark through the steps as you go. Jot notes down to pick up where you left off. 👉 Workbooks: add notes directly to the editable PDF or print, make it as relevant to your work experience or project as possible. 4 - Take the Exam I'm a terrible test taker. If you want to see overthinking on overdrive, that's me when reading multiple choice questions. True/False questions are bad enough, watch out for "NOT True" or "NOT False" because you'll see the right answer and need to pick the wrong one. To avoid all of this - I take the exam as quickly as I possibly can 🫣 Yep, no overthinking, I skim the question, find the answer, and move on. The first time I take a certification, I miss 5-8 questions - almost all of them are "select all that apply" or double-negative true/false 🙄 If you don't pass the first time, review the exam breakdown to study the questions you missed. Take it again as soon as the required time passes. To manage renewals I keep a binder of all of my notes with a fancy, surprisingly not-color coded, sticky note system and track the expiration dates in a google tracking sheet. >>> Everyone learns differently, find what works for you! 📸 SEO II certification handwritten notes

How I Balanced CFA Exam Prep and a Full-Time Job: Tips That Helped Me With 2025 CFA exam registrations now open for different levels, many of you might be wondering: Is it possible to prepare for the exams while working full-time? I’ve been there, and I can assure you—it’s absolutely doable! I managed to clear all three levels of the CFA exams while holding down a demanding job, and here’s what worked for me: 1️⃣ Assess Job Demands and Space Out Levels: Every job is different. Depending on your workload, allocate 6–12 months per level. Whether you prefer longer weekend study sessions or shorter weekday stretches, aim for 6–9 months per level. If your job is very demanding, give yourself more time to prevent burnout. 2️⃣ Seek Professional Coaching: Enrolling in coaching classes for all three levels was a game-changer for me. These classes helped me grasp concepts faster, provided structure to my study schedule and kept me focused and motivated. 3️⃣ Save Your Leaves for Exam Month: Weekends were my primary study time, and I reserved my office leaves for the final month before exams. I realized how crucial revision time is - no matter how many readings you complete, if you don’t revise, key concepts can slip away. Using your leaves for focused revision before the exams made a significant difference. 4️⃣ Maintain Discipline: Discipline is non-negotiable. I remember waking up early to study before heading to work during my internship—it wasn’t easy, but it paid off! Stick to your plan and keep distractions at bay. 5️⃣ Set Realistic Targets: I aimed to complete the first reading of all subjects 1.5 to 2 months before the exam, which allowed me to dedicate the final month solely to mock exams and revisions. To stay on track, set monthly targets—whether it’s completing certain subjects or finishing readings. 6️⃣ Plan Ahead: Plan your day, week, and month. Assess how much material you need to cover and how much time you have. A clear plan makes the process more manageable. 7️⃣ Minimize Gaps Between Levels: Allocate enough time for each level but avoid long gaps, as it can lead to forgetting critical concepts. Remember, the topics across levels often build on each other. Passing the CFA exams while working is challenging but entirely possible with the right approach and mindset. #cfaexamprep #cfastudies

No law student wants to spend a holiday weekend at school— —on an empty campus, —away from family, —eating dining hall food. But for many, that’s the plan. —Home is hours away. —Exams are not far away. —There are only so many hours in a day. And so, students stay. If that is you, please know that I see you; I will be thinking of you this weekend; 👉 Here’s an exam-prep tip just for you: Don’t just memorize outlines of rules. Instead, read practice problems to learn and memorize the material. Having black-and-white lists in your head isn’t enough. You need the color of the stories for the abstract concepts to cement. Now I’ll admit: I used to be scared of practice problems. I’d read them, be clueless, and get defeated. But I learned to treat them as short stories, not “gotcha” tests. I stopped approaching them like a challenge, and started just reading and retyping the answers. —By recopying the stories and explaining why the answer came out the way it did in your own words, you will internalize the stories. —And by learning the stories, you will learn the material. Doing this was a major differentiator for me. I hope it might work for you, too. 💌 Amanda #Dear1L P.S. If you’re a law student who has followed “Dear 1L,” the book, today is a really good day to RE-read chapter 7 on exams! P.P.S. Did you spend 1L Thanksgiving weekend on campus? Any tips for current students who are trying to make it through the weekend?